Ethereal Redemption Chapter 59

A/N I want to thank you all for the wonderful reception to the last chapter, it was always my long-term goal to allow A and G to finally marry – even if it’s only by vampire custom so far! I loved how many of you enjoyed the whole family being together, and I even smiled when I read that a few of you shed a couple of tears during Godric’s little speech.

To my guest reviewer Pat, who helped me out with the laws regarding amendments to the constitution, thank you so much for the insight! As someone living in the UK writing this story is so difficult because I have no idea about anything in America, so your information was really helpful! I usually end up spending hour’s googling stuff only to get conflicting information.

I’m using Creole in this chapter to represent Ancient Egyptian. I know some of the Ancient Egyptian language but not nearly enough to write full on paragraphs in it! I find Creole beautiful and quirky, the same as Ancient Egyptian!

Enjoy guys; I’ve loved exploring Sookie’s mentality in this chapter!

SOOKIE’S POVI look and stare so deep in your eyes
I touch on you more and more every time
When you leave I’m beggin you not to go
Call your name two, three times in a row
Such a funny thing for me to try to explain
How I’m feeling and my pride is the one to blame
Yeah, cause I know I don’t understand just how your love can do what no on else can~ Crazy in Love, Beyonce

THAT MORNING.

I woke feeling groggy, and certainly not myself. I could still feel the remnants ofthe day’s pain in my system, and it was with great effort that I managed to dragmyself out of bed. We’d been enjoying our time in Egypt and now this, whatever thiswas, had to come along and ruin it. I sighed in frustration, as was becoming acommon occurrence in my life, when I noticed I was as naked as a jaybird, andmuscles I hadn’t even realised I owned were aching. Dressing slowly, I took care ofmy human needs before I left the safety of the bedroom, after having slipped on myGran’s pearls. I wasn’t foolish enough to think I was in any fit state to fight someoneshould we be snuck up on today.

Padding into the living room I was greeted with the sight of Ata on the phone,Jason and Hunter watching Spongebob Squarepants on TV and Flo busy cooking inthe kitchen. The moment Ata saw me however she muttered something in alanguage I couldn’t understand down the phone before she ended her call abruptly,a small smile on her lips as she drifted over to me. “Morning Sook.” She greeted mesoftly, and I was thankful for her gentle tone. My head felt like it was on fire and Iwas seriously considering crawling back into bed with Eric and telling the world togo and fuck itself for a few more hours. Duty called however and I knew that I wasin need of some answers.

“Hey Auntie Sookie.” Hunter greeted me politely from the couch, turning to lookat me but not moving from his spot, his tone just as soft as Ata’s.

“Hey Sis.” Jason followed suite before the two of them returned their attention tothe television. I dropped my shields for a moment to find Hunter mentally absorbedin the show, and while Jason was too I was able to locate a fuzzy spot. Turning myeyes to my cousin I raised an eyebrow in question.

“I won’t apologise for it. Jason was a nightmare after he found out the seriousness of your condition and every few seconds he was thinking of going into your room, shoving Eric out of the way and running off with you. He thinks all this supernatural stuff is getting too much. I only glamoured him into complacency, nothing more.” Mycousin explained with a delicate shrug of her shoulders as Flo placed two plates ofstrawberry cheesecake down on the counter, along with two glasses of water. “Eatup, you must be hungry.” Ata swept to her own seat, pulling herself up onto it. I saton the other one, albeit a little less elegantly.

I wasn’t sure what to make of Ata glamouring Jason. True my brother was a painin the ass most of the time, but he was still my brother and I still loved him, it was inhis nature to be protective and possessive. On the other hand though, glamouringJason into complacency had obviously made Ata’s day a little easier, and I was surethat her glamour could in fact be undone if I set my mind to it. Then again, a morecomplacent and less irritating older brother could be a bonus given our currentsituation. I decided, for now, that glamouring Jason had been a good idea. I alreadyhad an over-possessive 1000-year-old Viking bonded to deal with, so I didn’t needto add my brother to that as well. Eric was possessive and protective enough to bethe equivalent of 100 Jason’s.

“How long have I been out for?” I started with a simple question, grabbing the fork by my plate to break off a piece of cheesecake as Ata did the same.

“About six hours now, which is less than I would have thought. We ended up back here pretty early for some reason. Usually the time zones would have put us here in the evening but it seems we jumped a few hours.” My cousin frowned as she popped a piece of cake in her mouth, and it didn’t take being a telepath to know that this was unusual for her.

“And what exactly happened to me?” I asked once we had both finished our mouthfuls. With a light sigh Ata placed her fork down, taking a sip of water before she spoke again.

“You received your first fae gift today Sookie. That was Niall on the phone and he’s informed me of what your gift is.” Ata turned in her seat to face me, her eyes the picture of honesty as I put my own fork down. Gently my cousin took my hands, and I allowed her to, seeing the glee starting to build up in her. “Sook, you can shape shift! You can become any animal in the world so long as you have seen one before, be it in real life, in a book, on the TV, anything. There is only one other person who’s received such a gift from Niall, so it’s an honour for you to have it.” For a moment I was unsure what to say. I had gained my first fae gift, and it was nothing like what I was expecting it to be! I’d been hoping that I would get to lose my telepathy, or to gain a way to shut it off completely without having to deal with these darn shields in the least! To say I was disappointed was an understatement.

“I guess this makes me more of a freak then eh?” I forced a nervous laugh, my mind racing at 100mph as I tried to make sense of everything. I had my telepathy, a common fae gift, and now I had the ability to turn into any animal at whim, just like Sam. It was all too much. All I wanted to be was ‘Crazy Sookie’ the barmaid.

Ata’s face darkened the moment my words left my lips, and all emotion vanished from our connection. I tried to prod it in the same way I’d done with my connection to Eric when we’d been having one of our many lovers’ spats, but I was met with a solid iron wall. Knowing my cousin was doing this on purpose hurt. “Look Ata, I don’t want any more gifts. I’ve spent my whole life being tormented for being telepathic, for knowing everything that’s going on in everyone’s heads. I know everyone’s secrets and those who aren’t afraid of me think of me so badly. Can’t you understand?” I sighed, pushing my now empty plate away from me.

“You’re not the only one whose gifts have caused them grief, you know.” My cousin’s silence finally broke, and I swore there was a bitter tone to her voice, one that shocked me a little given her usually tender tone. “I grew up listening to my baby brother mentally beating himself up because my mother’s second husband wouldn’t leave him alone. I’ve heard voices for over 2000 years, been left on this earth alone without any kind of fae kin to train me or help me for near enough that entire time too. I have had to glamour myself out of the history textbooks. I am a Queen, and Egypt was my empire, and yet because of the length of our lives I’ve had to ensure that no one will remember me, I’ve had to stay in the shadows and pretend I’m a long lost descendant of the great Julius Caesar when in fact I am his only daughter by Cleopatra. I’ve had to spend my days with the most incredible people before I was forced to glamour them into forgetting me the moment sunset arrived. You don’t have that problem, and at least your new gift will help get you out of bad situations. Mine only puts me in them.” Ata was up off her feet before I had a chance to respond, leaving me in the room with a docile Jason, a nervous looking Hunter and a sorrowful Flo.

“Miss Ata doesn’t mean to lose her temper with you Miss Sookie. Today’s a big day for her and her boys. She’s so use to being alone too that she’s unsure how to act with all this new company. She’ll come around, I promise you.” Flo reassured me, quickly tidying up the dishes Ata and I had left behind before she disappeared up the stairs behind the secret bookcase.

I guess in amongst all the chaos around us I had never really taken a moment to see things from my cousins’ perspective. This was all new to her too, and she was finding it just as difficult as me to adjust. She suddenly had a house full of people who were for all intents and purposes her family, her long lost love was back in her arms after 2000 years apart and she had gained another son she never knew she had. Throw in Felipe wanting her and it sounded very much like she and I were matched in the pity party department.

Sighing, I knew my cousin would need some time to cool off. We were very much alike and I often needed a moment after a heated debate to gather my thoughts. Sliding from the barstool I padded over to the lounge, placing myself down onto the sofa beside Hunter. “Auntie Sookie, can you really turn into any animal you want?” He turned to me, eyes wide.

A small smile passed over my lips at his childish glee and I figured there was no point in lying to my nephew. Giving a small nod I saw the cogs turning in Hunter’s head. “Could you turn into a puppy for me, please?” he asked suddenly, tilting his head back to look up at me, giving me his own version of puppy-dog eyes.

“I can try. What kind of puppy would you like me to try and become?” I folded myself up onto the sofa, tucking my feet underneath me.

Hunter seemed to think for a moment before he decided. “A husky please. Momma said I wasn’t allowed a puppy whenever I asked her for one, she told me that having one creature to look after is enough.” The young boy before me shrugged though I could feel his pain at his mothers’ lack of love. It angered me the way Hadley had treated Hunter, like he was a burden and a hindrance. As soon as all of this was over I would be filing Hadley’s death certificate and adopting Hunter as my own, consequences be damned. He needed someone to look after him, to take care of him, and as Eric couldn’t give me a biological child of my own, and we would probably end up adopting anyway, Hunter was as close as I would be able to get to the next generation of Stackhouse – or Northman – depending on Eric’s view to on what Hunter’s surname should be when filling out the adoption forms.

I was uncertain how to go about shifting, and there was no way I could ring Sam and ask, and Ata’s mind was still blocked off from me. I’d have to guess. Pausing, I rolled my shoulders to loosen them up a bit before I rubbed my temples. Muttering a quick prayer under my breath I envisioned a small husky puppy that I had once seen on TV, gathering all of my light right into my core before I suddenly sent it shooting around my system. The sensation that followed was nauseating and I could feel myself changing into something completely new. It was a matter of seconds before I opened my eyes to find myself down on the sofa level, my world was suddenly plunged into a mass of different colours. Everything had been so bright and rich when I had been human, but now I was seeing the world as a dog would and everything wasn’t as bright, nor was I seeing as many colours as I had before. I didn’t feel right in this form though, I felt uncomfortable and off, awkward and physically itching to change into anything else. Scratching one of those itches I stopped as Jason laughed while looking at me. Turning to face the TV screen, which had now been turned off, I could see why he was laughing. I was a cute little husky, and my back leg was cocked up at an odd angle so I could scratch my annoying itch.

“Auntie Sookie, can you turn into a turtle please?” I could hear Hunter’s mental voice, though his physical voice was hard to distinguish in this form. I was aware of my clothes now on the sofa. That would be interesting when it came to turning back into a human again…

Pulling the image of a turtle from my mind I forced myself to change. Hunter, Jason and I kept this up for several changes before I started to feel the fatigue set in. It seemed I had mastered the ability almost instantly, but that it was taxing if constant shifts were required. All of the animals Hunter had me change into made me feel uncomfortable, until he asked me to become a cat, stating that they were more domestic animals and I wouldn’t therefore look out of place in Ata’s home. I decided to try and change into a black cat, similar to Salem Saberhagen from Sabrina. I’d loved that show as a child.

The shifting sensation took over again and soon I was a little black cat, curled up on the sofa. I felt far more comfortable as a cat than any other form I had used. My comfort only increased the moment Ata swept back into the room, carrying her laptop. It was like a warm blanket had been wrapped around me on a chilly night, and I couldn’t stop myself from purring in content against the sofa pillow I was sat on. My eyes had been half-closed, my pupils narrow and my tail still with my ears forward in contentment.

As Ata spotted me I felt our connection re-open, and the comfort feeling shift to one of love and adoration, but it was nothing like the love and adoration I felt from Eric. This one was almost motherly and I then remembered Ata’s true identity within the Egyptian world as the feline goddess. “Yon chat kostim ou kouzen” She spoke softly, bending down to tickle my chin. If I were human I would have had no idea what she was saying, but it seemed my current form allowed me to understand her. I let out a happy meow in response, willing myself to tell Ata how comfortable I felt in my new form. The smile on her lips informed me that she understood.

Ata took the seat beside me and I rearranged myself so I was half sprawled across her lap as her laptop took up the rest of the room. “Jason, Hunter, could you do me a favour please and go and try on your costumes for me? If adjustments need to be made then we now have a few hours for them to be conducted.” Ata offered the boys a smile, her mental walls still in place. I could tell it was her polite way of asking them to leave us alone for a while. Now that he was far easier to manage, Jason agreed before he took Hunter’s hand, leading him out of the room. I would try to undo his glamour later.

One of Ata’s dainty hands came down softly on the top of my head and she gave me a stroke. It felt like a mini massage and was utterly heavenly. “Mwen prezante eskiz sou pèdi tanperaman mwen avèk ou pi bonè. Mwen enkyete sou sa a aswè.” My cousin sighed softly, giving me a tickle behind my ear before she opened up her emails. Turning my head I gave her a nudge, meowing my own apology to her. It was strange to not hear English leaving my mouth, but Ata understood me perfectly when a smile tugged at her lips.

“It’s automatic for the fae to adjust to their gifts, and it seems you’ve picked it up very well. I didn’t realise that I was using my glamour the first time it happened, when I was tricking the guards back home. It wasn’t until my boys were turned that I realised what my gift was, and that it was uncommon for a fairy to receive it given its association with vampires. Of course Niall thought it fitted me perfectly.” My cousin snorted, shaking her head with a smile on her features as she started to open up her new emails, many of which looked dull. We fell into companionable silence for a few minutes before Ata spoke again.

“You’ll find though that you’ll soon run out of energy with excessive use of your gift. Your gift is taking from your light, which is of course powered by the sun. Though I suppose if you were outside in the daytime shifting then your power would be infinite, but then there would be plenty of witnesses for it. It’s a double-edged sword really.” She explained, once again using the beautiful language she had spoken to me in earlier. I was grateful that I could hear the thoughts of others, because even when Ata, along with Hunter and Jason, spoke English while I was in this form it didn’t sound right to me. I could hear their mental voices though, which was how I had understood my cousin’s conversation with my brother and nephew. I was able to translate Ata’s language into English with complete ease.

For another hour we sat together, Ata tapping away at her laptop, answering emails and adding last minute touches to the VRA party. I dozed in and out and was pleased to find that, unlike Sam, I was able to retain my form in my sleep. Every now and then Ata would scratch behind my ear. I wasn’t sure if it was a comforting gesture from her or if it was quelling her nerves. I could feel them through our bond, bubbling away inside of her. This evening was important to me too, as it would help build my future with Eric, but it was even more important to my cousin. I gave her my silent strength knowing she was just in need of a companion right now.

Ata sat upright for a moment, her head whipping to the door before she smiled. “The Were security team for this evening are here, would you like to join me in speaking to them?” She asked, shutting the lid of her laptop. I’d been dozing happily but the mention of Were’s had me alert instantly. Rising to stand on all fours I decided to sit, tipping my head sideways at Ata. “You can remain a cat if you want, I’m sure they’ll pass on the chance to bark at you.” My cousin teased with a light laugh.

Not feeling comfortable with Ata effectively going alone, with me as a little black cat for company, I meowed my dislike of the situation. I liked being a cat, I could handle it, but there was no way I was allowing Ata to go down there alone! Sighing quietly, my cousin seemed at a loss with what to do. “What would you have me do then?” She put the question to me. I mulled it over for a moment. We couldn’t invite them in here, they’d smell all the vampires and know they were resting nearby, but at the same time Ata couldn’t ignore them. Then it struck me.

Leaping down from the sofa I padded to a fairly large empty space before I gathered my light inside of me once again, throwing it around my body. Opening my eyes I looked to my cousin, my enhanced vision allowing me to see my reflection in her wide eyes. “A 500lbs Bengal tiger. I so should have thought of that…’ she mused, reining in her surprise which I could clearly feel. “Pearls!” Ata remembered, having been playing with her promise ring, the ring that doubled as her security measure against others. My cousin disappeared for a moment before she returned with my bracelet and a strip of silk. Slipping the bracelet onto the strip of silk, Ata fell gracefully to her knees before me, tying the silk around my neck. My current size meant that I wouldn’t be able to wear my bracelet around my wrist, my paw even, so tying it around my neck at least kept it in contact with my new body. Sparing a glance to her hand I double-checked that her promise ring was still in place.

Together we left the safety of the penthouse, taking the elevator down onto the first floor. The crowds of people milling around stopped to watch Ata and I as we padded through the building, tourists pulled out their phones to take a photo of us, clearly not expecting there to be a tiger milling around. I stayed close to Ata’s side, mainly because I didn’t wish for us to part, but also because of the crowds of people. I didn’t want any of them to feel threatened or uneasy. Moving through the casino, parts of which were still covered in tarpaulin from the bombing, we reached a door at the back of the room and placing her thumb on a small keypad by the door Ata was granted access. Entering the room behind her, I was surprised to see a beautiful office. The walls were painted a light yellow, the floor was made of wood and so was all of the furniture. It was modern but sturdy, long lasting and enduring. Ata’s desk sat on a rug near the back of the room and to the left of it sat a seating area with multiple, comfortable looking, brown leather sofas. There was an archway behind the sofas, through which I could spot a huge bookshelf crammed with books and a long conference table. We were only in the room for a few minutes, enough time for me to have a good sniff around, before a knock at the door signalled the arrival of the Were’s. Ata and Ari’s scents were the strongest in the room and as I’d walked past her desk I’d spotted a framed photograph of Ata and all of her boys stood outside Caesar’s Palace on the night of its grand opening.

“Do come in.” Ata gestured for our company to enter as I padded over to the sofas, sitting myself down in front of the single armchair. Ata’s scent was strongest here so I assumed it was hers.

Four male Were’s entered the room, freezing in their tracks the moment they spotted me. “Miss Caesar, I do believe there is a tiger in your office.” One of them pointed out. He was tall and well built, as all Were’s were, but something about him was screaming out at me. Thankfully Ata was translating for me through our mental connection. English still sounded strange as a tiger too.

“And there is a lion in my bed, but lets not get into that.” My cousin effectively dismissed the conversation. If tigers could laugh I would have been. I was sure Godric would appreciate the compliment. “Can I get you gentleman anything?” Ata shifted into the hostess role, but all men shook their heads. Ata took her seat in the armchair, and I made sure to sit tall at her side, sizing up each of the men in turn. A part of me had an urge to growl at them and bear my teeth, but I knew Ata would be unhappy if I did. One of my cousins’ hands came over the armchairs arm to land on the nape of my neck, which she affectionately scratched for me. Looking at the man who had spoken I scowled, sifting through my memories until I found his face. Colonel John Flood! He was the new pack master of the area? Last time I’d met him had been with Alcide back in Louisiana, when we had first found out that Russell was giving the local Were pack V in order to keep them under his control. At the time the Colonel had been thinking of running. Seemed like he’d followed through and settled on down in Vegas. I was happy for him.

Clearing her throat, Ata kept a secure hand on me. “So, security for this evening…”

Two hours passed as Ata spoke with the Were’s regarding the security for the VRA party, and she was assured that nothing would happen. I didn’t pay too much attention to the information being shared. Instead I spent my time throwing out my mental net, listening in on the thoughts of the Were’s. Ever since I had been able to hear vampire thoughts, Were thoughts were clearer and a little louder. It was easier to block them out though, but I wanted to know every little detail. If something happened to ruin Ata’s night I would stake someone, or at least hit him or her with a few silver bullets first. As the meeting drew to a close, Colonel Flood reached inside his jacket and produced a velvet package. Cautiously he held it out to Ata, a light frown dancing on her features as she took it from him carefully.

“The lady with the all-seeing eye told me you would know what to do with this. She gave it to me yesterday knowing I would see you today.” Ata felt the weight of the item, pursing her lips together in contemplation before she nodded her thanks to the men, dismissing them. They all stood, leaving to deal with the final security touches for the party. Alone in the room with the door secure, I allowed myself to shift back to my usual form, grabbing the nearest pillow to cover myself.

“There’s a spare dress in the conference room.” My cousin mumbled towards me as she continued to play with the velvet bundle. Awkwardly scurrying myself into the conference room, for fear of flashing my cousin, I found her spare dress and hastily pulled it over my head. It was a perfect fit, salmon pink in colour with lace and frills. The plunging neckline helped me with the girls, who were no longer supported thanks to my lack of bra.

Returning to Ata, I took a seat beside her. “What’s in the bundle?” I asked, feeling Ata’s curiosity matching my own. With a shrug and a flick of her wrist, Ata pulled back the velvet wrapping to reveal an ancient looking scabbard made of bronze. Images of animals were embossed into the metal, and the ornate detail made it a beautiful piece. I could clearly see the bronze and blue handle of the blade hiding inside of the scabbard and I was captivated with the craftsmanship. I could appreciate well-made things. Granddaddy Earl had made a lot of the furniture in Gran’s house, and you could tell he had put a lot of love into them.

“It’s the pledging knife.” Ata whispered, her eyes as wide as saucers as she turned the scabbard over, slowly withdrawing the blade. It was made of bronze too, but looked like it had been dulled over the years. I was sure that if it were wielded properly it would cause serious damage, but just by looking at it, it appeared harmless.

“What’s the pledging knife?” I asked as my cousin slowly sheathed the blade. A soft smile passed over her lips as she snorted quietly, wrapping the scabbard and blade back up in the velvet packaging.

“The pledging knife is used between humans and vampires. It’s what binds them, pledges them. Hence the name.” My cousin stroked the velvet wrapping, and I could tell she was mentally working something out.

“Binds them?” I frowned, not quite following. Surely a blood bond bound a vampire and a human together, not a blade.

“Marriage – the most binding of them all. You’re pledging yourself to one other being in the world, giving yourself to them entirely. The marriage created by a pledging is a sacred bond and all those witnessing the joining would be duty bound to protect the marriage.” Ata answered me softly. I was aware of how wrong Ata’s previous attempts at marriage had gone.

“The Ancient Pythoness gave that to you, the Were’s were just the middle-men. Do you think…?” I trailed off, unsure if I was right in assuming that the old vampiress had witnessed the passing of the VRA.

“No.” Ata’s response was startlingly quick as she turned to face me, a soft smile on her lips, her eyes alive with the answer to her next sentence. “She’s asking me if I’m ready to try again.”

The moment the VRA was announced to have passed I couldn’t help but be proud of my country. I was proud that enough of those in Louisiana had gotten over their hatred for fangs to help pass the VRA. I could feel the joy pouring off of Eric and before I had time to stop him his lips were on mine, his arms locked around my waist as he pulled me closer for a fierce hug. I was hyper-aware of the cameras on us, but I felt safe in his arms, treasured even, and there was no way I was going to let anything ruin this moment, his moment. “Congratulations.” I whispered up to him as he released my lips, tipping my head back slightly to take in his entire 6’4 frame. Eric’s grin was infectious and I couldn’t be happier for him, or myself. Now we could legally adopt Hunter, we could buy a house together and get married… Hold your horses Stackhouse! I mentally admonished myself. Ata had spent the entire day talking about pledging herself to Godric, and getting married by human custom in the future. All of her marriage talk was starting to wear off on me. Sparing a glance to the usually impassive Pam, I could easily make out the relief on her pretty features. This was a big change for her too. Though she had spent less time in the shadows than Eric, it would still massively impact her.

I remained silent, holding onto Eric’s hand tightly and I felt all the stress and worry that had been on my cousin’s mind evaporate into thin air. Seeing her embrace her boys made me feel nostalgic. Their bonds were much more than mother and child; they were one another’s support systems, one another’s foundations. Seeing them together made me miss Lafayette and Tara. I’d grown up with them and they were practically my brother and sister. If I had been without either of them growing up I would’ve probably been locked away in an asylum for life. I loved Jason and he was my sibling by blood, but nothing could damage my bonds with Tara and Lafayette.

As the three outcasts at school we had all stuck together and the friendship that had transpired between us was much stronger than any of the other friendships my peers had made with one another. I still saw Tara and Lafayette on a daily basis but I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen, or heard, of J.B DuRone and Jason hanging out together at Merlotte’s, or anywhere else for that matter. I wondered if Tara and Lafayette missed me as much as I missed them. I wondered what they were doing right now. Had Tara returned to New Orleans to be with her girlfriend or was she still comforting Lafayette over the loss of Jesus back in Bon Temp? I had no way of knowing without the risk of exposing them to my current situation. Too many people had either been hurt or killed because of me and I was not about to let my two best friends suffer in any capacity.

I watched as Godric approached my cousin, expecting him to simply offer his congratulations, so the moment he sank down to one knee before her stunned me. I found myself holding my breath, willing my body to be silent so that I wouldn’t ruin the moment occurring before me. His words to Ata washed over me and, still listening to him proposing, I took the opportunity to think more on my relationship with Eric.

We had very few memories together, and most of them usually consisted of one, or both, of us being in a perilous situation and needing the others assistance. I’d ratted out Longshadow for Eric, I’d gone into the Fellowship for him and nearly been raped if Godric hadn’t of come to my rescue. Eric sheltered me from the bomb in Godric’s nest, getting his blood into my system too to start weaning me off of my unhealthy relationship with Bill. Then there was the whole sticky mess with Russell, the fang raping and the subsequent semi-burning that I thought had led to Russell’s demise. Throw in Eric purchasing my house during my absence and restoring it to its former glory, along with his following bout of amnesia and the witches and it had seemed, over the years, that we had scratched one another’s backs numerous times. Did he think the way Godric did? Did he love every little thing I did or said? Would Eric ever be the sort of man to get down on one knee and offer me a ring, commit himself to me fully until death do us part? He’d said before that he wanted to marry me; it was a topic he’d brought up a lot these past few days. When we’d been watching the videos of the day he’d questioned me about it, and then there was his bedtime confession that he wanted to put a ring on my finger and introduce me to everyone as his wife. Did I even want to get married?

I was snapped out of my daze as my cousin tumbled to her knees before the man she loved, the man she had spent 2000 years waiting for. Would I ever get to know a love like that? In 2000 years time would Eric still love me, would he still want me? I couldn’t imagine the sort of love between my cousin and Godric. Their beginning hadn’t been pleasant, but then the same could most certainly be said for Eric and I, and yet their happy ending didn’t seem too far off. Would I finally get a happy ending? Could I have my little white picket fence country house, with a neatly trimmed lawn and pretty rose bushes?

Ata’s eyes sought out mine as Godric slipped the band onto her finger, and I knew what was coming. I offered her a wide smile, feeling her happiness through our connection. My cousin deserved happiness after 2000 years apart, and if a third bond would allow her to give Godric the sunshine then she would no longer be lonely in the day. They could have one another 24/7. That was another thing – the third bond. Would Eric grow to resent that, feel too tied down by it? Ata mentioned that it was permanent – forever. I could give him the sunshine though; allow him to walk in the day after 1000 years of nighttime.

Nodding at Ata I pushed strength and reassurance through the bond we had formed when we had exchanged blood. It felt a little stronger recently, more secure, like it had finally anchored inside of both of us. I watched as my cousin offered the knife out to her bonded, and the moment it was revealed to the audience my mind was bombarded with the thoughts of all vampires presents.

“How on earth did she get the pledging knife?”

“Shit, this means it’s our duty to ensure no one breaks their bonds now.”

“I think they’re pretty cute together.”

“Good girl. Ensure you are bound together tightly, it’s the only way.”

The last voice threw me through the loop. It sounded like it came from a vampire mind and yet I couldn’t be sure. Throwing my telepathy out I tried to pick up on the mental voice again but I couldn’t locate it anywhere in the crowd. I took note of what I’d heard though, so that I could inform Ata later.

“We must kneel before them when they rise, if we approve of their union.” Eric broke through my thoughts. Turning my head to look up at my vampire I nodded in understanding, wondering if our nest would ever kneel before us if we ever decided to pledge by the knife. My eyes returned to Ata as she was given her new title of wife. Our strong connection, that felt secure inside of me, was screaming out with glee. I’d spent my life wanting to see others happy, putting my happiness on the back burner, but seeing my cousin happy made me happy. It was as if, in some way, we were the same person. Moving towards Ata and Godric as they rose, I dropped to my knees with the rest of our nest, approving wholeheartedly of their union. My cousin even got to keep her maiden name.

The party picked back up and I moved straight to my cousin, grabbing her hand to inspect the rock upon her finger. It was beautiful, decorated in diamonds and perfectly befitting of her. It looked right on her finger, like it belonged there. Would a ring look good on my finger? Subconsciously I reached down to play with my ring finger. I’d never thought of marriage before the vampires came out of the coffin and I became involved with Bill. I’d resigned myself to growing old alone with hundreds of cats in Gran’s house. Being in a relationship with a human had been out of the question. I didn’t want to spend my life hearing them. There were of course others, like Sam, who was harder to read. Knowing now though that they were either Were or Shifter put me off too. Glancing across the room to Eric, who was stood with Godric, I tried to imagine what it would be like to marry him. He’d proven over the years I had known him that he was dependable, loyal, loving, yet with that fierce edge that had us clashing horns on occasion. I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world though. He was magnificent the way he was.

He’d made no secret of his wish to marry me, to tie us together so tightly that no one could part us, and if I was being honest with myself there was no one out there I would rather marry. The other day, when we had been watching the video of the day I had spent with Ata, I had panicked over the concept of marriage, having resigned myself to live single for the rest of my life. Watching my cousin though, the way she blended with Godric, the way she was proud to be his and wear his ring, how she had handed him the pledging knife without an ounce of fear, it made me stop to think. Their marriage made them equals. They owned one another. That was my biggest fear, to be treated like an object to be coveted. Eric had thought of me that way at first, as I’m sure Godric had thought that way about Ata too, but his feelings had shifted, just like Eric’s. He wanted us as equals. I wanted us as equals. Maybe marriage wasn’t something to be afraid of; maybe it was just what I needed. It offered security, a sense of belonging, it would make Eric and I equals in the eyes of all supernaturals. More importantly though it would make Eric happy, and if I was being honest then it would make me happy too. I would get my dream of tying the knot to a man that was more than worthy of my love, a man who had proven that he would stand by my side no matter what was thrown our way. We’d face the world together. Eric and Sookie Northman.

Accepting that I wanted to wed my vampire felt like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. Ata’s eyes moved to me as I looked back to her, having finally taken my eyes off of my vampire. A knowing smile crossed her lips as she raised her free hand, tapping the spot just above her heart that I had come to associate with the location of our bond. Sometimes it frightened me just how much my Egyptian cousin knew me.

It was a few hours later that I found myself at the bar with Eric and Godric. Ata was off dancing with the other Sheriff’s, captivating the audience. She was graceful and nimble, raised to the highest of standards. I couldn’t help but feel a little inferior in her company, but then she was born and raised royalty. I was born into the royal fae bloodline but not raised that way, and that was where the difference lay. Though everyone treated Ata like royalty, it was only Eric who treated me that way. I was more than fine with that though. The last thing I wanted was more attention. Eric was leaning across the bar, ordering me a glass of water. I had Godric on my other side, shielding one half of me, and Eric was shielding the other half.

“End the blonde fucker he said, the scary tall one with the pretty blonde lady beside him. Fuckin’ fanger needs to meet my stake!” The manic, possessed voice broke into my thoughts, coming ever closer. There was only scary tall blonde in the room, and he was stood to my left. I stiffened instinctively, deciding rapidly to warn the whole room.

“STAKE!” I screamed, not caring for my own safety as I put myself between the crazed man and Eric. I wouldn’t allow anyone to hurt Eric. I needed him alive. The makeshift stake came down seconds after I put myself in the way, tearing through the side of my body. The sharp stab of pain was unbearable and I couldn’t stop my scream. Eric was fine though and that thought soothed me a little as I started to sob. The next few seconds were a blur; my eyes screwed shut meant I couldn’t see what was going on around me. I could hear Ata barking out orders and then I felt myself being lifted by a familiar pair of arms. I couldn’t stop my howl of pain and I felt my Eric wince through our bond before a whoosh of air rushed over me. We were in the lift, the wooden stake protruding from my side, before I opened my eyes a crack. Eric’s beautiful face was looming over me, concern etched on his features. “You’re safe.” I croaked, my throat sore from my screams.

“My stupid faery, that was a crazy thing for you to do.” I heard Eric whisper, the red tears welling up in his eyes before he fought them back as the lift came to a stop at the penthouse. I was aware of another brain signature with us – Oeri – and I was pleased that the vampire ‘doctor’ was with us.

“I couldn’t risk you being hurt. I love you.” I croaked out, coughing a little as I tried to pull air into my sore lungs.

“As I love you.” Eric’s soft whisper of a response reverberated in my ears, and that was all that mattered. No one had harmed my Viking.

Staring up at the ceiling, I felt the hard surface of Ata’s coffee table underneath me. It seemed to be becoming a trend for Ata and I, when we sustained injuries, to be sprawled out over this piece of wooden furniture. “Out of the way vampire, let me tend to the girl.” I heard Ludwig’s unmistakable sneer nearby. Eric moved aside to allow Ludwig access to me, but he kept my small hand in his large one, the pad of his thumb rubbing over the back of my hand in a long, soothing motion. The side of my body in which the stake was embedded in felt numb, and I could feel my sticky blood on my bare skin, seeping through my costume, causing it to stick to me in the most disgusting of ways.

I heard the elevator ding once more and although Ludwig’s eyes never left my wound as she examined it she still knew who had just entered the room. “Mr. and Mrs. Caesar-Nervii, congratulations are due of course but I feel that Miss Stackhouse’s wellbeing is top priority at the moment.” The old doctor spoke, pulling on a pair of latex glove. Tipping my head sideways I watched as my cousin knelt on the other side of me, placing a soothing hand on my forehead. She made quiet shushing noises, pushing and tugging at our bond, filling it with care and reassurance. Ludwig placed her hands on the stake in my side and I knew what was about to happen. Digging my nails into Eric, who was still holding my hand, I screwed my eyes shut to brace myself for what was coming. I felt dampness on my fingers seconds later and the realisation that I had drawn blood worried me for a moment, but I figured he wouldn’t mind.

“Let go,” I heard him advise me, and I loosened my grip on his hand. “No, not of me.” I could hear the smile in his voice. “You can hold on to me as long as you want.” Eric’s cheesy line was the exact distraction I needed. I didn’t even see it coming.

One moment the stake was lodged deep inside of me, and the next it was free and in the hands of the tiny doctor. Of course the distraction didn’t stop my screams of pain, nor did it stop me cursing to the heavens, albeit not in English. “Jävlar!” I screamed between sobs, letting go of Eric to try and grasp at my side. His reflexes were faster though and he pinned my hands down before I could touch the wound.

“It could become infected, Sookie.” He tried to rationalise with the sensible side in me. It hurt though, so much. It hurt more than when I had learnt of Bill’s deceit, it hurt more than knowing that Bill was trying to kill Eric, it hurt more than the moment I had walked in to see Gran laying on the floor in a pool of her own blood after René had killed her. My body felt like it was on fire and I wanted nothing more than to curl up in the corner and die.

“You can give her blood now Northman. I expect payment by the end of the week.” Ludwig was gone before I could even thank her, but I figured the old troll disliked being thanked anyway. She didn’t strike me as a people person. I felt myself being moved and a second later Eric was pressing his wrist to my mouth. Feeling his blood on my lips I opened my mouth, latching on securely. Daring to open my eyes I squinted in the bright light, capturing Eric’s eyes a second later. Blood tracks were evident down his face and there was pain in his stormy blue eyes.

As his wound closed over I released his wrist. “What’s the matter?” I croaked up at him, awkwardly reaching up from my position on his lap to touch his left cheek, my fingers trailing through the blood track I found there.

“I hurt with you. I bleed with you – not only because we’re bonded but because of the love I have for you.” He whispered. Touched by his honesty I felt myself on the verge of my own tears, but a hand on my ankle drew my attention that way. Looking down, I spotted Ata at my feet, one of her slender hands on my ankle, a faint green glow around it. She was healing me, using her light and our bond to repair my side and my emotions. Allowing the gesture I noticed Godric lingering at my side, his eyes on my wound.

“Kan en av er stänger det då snälla?” I mumbled, unaware that I was uttering in Eric’s native language until his shock tumbled through our bond.

“Sookie, where did you learn my language?” Eric asked me, raising his wrist to his mouth to bite into it again.

“She’s hearing it from your mind, Eric. You usually think in your native language and then speak in English, translating as you go. She’s learning from your mind.” Ata interrupted my answer, not that I had an answer anyway. I had no idea I was even doing that.

Eric’s wrist was back in front of my mouth but just before I latched onto it I looked over to Godric. “Can you seal it for me, please?” I begged him. With a nod my bonded’s father was beside me, crouched over me. His tongue went to work immediately, licking dried blood away, his saliva acting as a disinfectant. I even felt a few drops of his blood hit my skin and I realised he was helping to heal me too.

Taking Eric’s wrist back into my mouth I sucked on the wound, taking long, deep pulls of his blood. I could feel myself starting to heal but I was tired and feeling light-headed.

“She’s lost a lot of blood, the rapid repletion is wrecking havoc with her body.” I could hear Ata in the background but she sounded far away, the edges of my vision were starting to blacken but I was determined to keep my focus on Eric’s cerulean orbs.

Prying his wrist from my mouth, I whimpered at the loss of Eric only to feel the loss of Ata moments later as she let go of my ankle. I was still in pain, but she had alleviated most of it. I was grateful that she was allowing Godric to clean and heal my wound for me. I was aware of the magnitude of the gesture she was making. I felt her warm hands on my side when Godric’s cool tongue left my body, and seconds later I felt a gust of wind as my clothes were taken off of me. What felt like a bandage was being wrapped around my torso and I forced myself to keep my eyes open and on Eric, not wanting to pass out for the umpteenth time since vampires had come out of the coffin.

“Let it take you, lover. I’ll take care of you, I promise.” Eric hushed me, stroking my hair and face in repeated, soothing motions. Unable to fight the darkness any longer I gave in, placing all of my trust in the one man I knew would keep his word.

ATA’S POV

This is the end, hold your breath and count to ten
Feel the earth move and then hear my heart burst again
For this is the end, I’ve drowned and dreamt this moment
So overdue I owe them, swept away, I’m stolen
Let the sky fall when it crumbles
We will stand tall, face it all together
Let the sky fall when it crumbles
We will stand tall, face it all together, at Skyfall~ Skyfall, Adele

The moment Sookie passed out I breathed a sigh of relief. The fae healed quicker when they were either asleep or unconscious as our bodies didn’t have to try and do everything at once, it could focus on healing itself, on using our light to mend any damage.

Falling back onto my haunches I ran a hand over my forehead, removing the light sheen of sweat from my skin. “I’m going to put her in bed.” Eric’s voice broke through the silence, though he sounded bleak and miserable. Doing nothing but nodding I let him go on his way, my gaze moving to Godric who was wiping his mouth.

“Ata I…” I could tell he was about to apologise for tasting her but I held my hand up to silence him, offering a reassuring smile.

“She’s my cousin, she and I share a tie and you helped to save her. I am not angry in the slightest. Thank you, my husband.” I rose shakily to my feet, feeling a little weak from the use of my healing light. Before I even had time to fall Godric was beside me, his arm around my waist as he led me to the sofa. Sookie’s blood was pooled on the table and on the carpet. I would have to call in the professionals to clean the place in the morning.

“Take from me, my wife.” My husband’s bleeding wrist appeared in front of my mouth and I latched on, taking four deep pulls before I let go, not wanting to weaken him. Eric re-emerged a second later, his eyes on the pool of Sookie’s blood on the table. I could see the hurt there, mixed with his worry, and his relief that for now she was safe. He went to move to the kitchen but I beat him to it, using my teleportation skill.

“Let my boys do this before they rest for the day. I’ll have cleaners come in and deal with the carpet during the day.” I ordered softly. Eric’s features hardened and I knew I would have a fight on my hands if I didn’t stop this soon. Raising one of my hands I placed it against his cheek, stroking his cheekbone lightly. “Go and sit my son, let me clean you up.” Eric’s features softened at my words and he lent into the palm of my hand, nodding slowly before he shuffled back to the sofas, seating himself beside Godric. I wasn’t use to seeing Eric this way and I was sure he had never acted like this before. His concern for Sookie and her wellbeing was gnawing away at him.

Taking a new cloth from under the sink I drenched it in warm water before I removed the excess water from it. Padding back to my husband and Childe I took a seat on the other side of Eric. He turned to face me and I gently took his face in my free hand, using the damp cloth to start to clean the blood tracks from his face.

“She’ll be fine, min son. Do not worry. I’ll take care of her in the day while you rest.” I soothed him as I wiped away the blood on his left cheek. Eric lent into my hand, a low purr resonating from his chest. From the corner of my eye I spotted Godric placing one of his hands on Eric’s knee in a reassuring gesture. With one cheek clean I moved on to the other.

“Thank you.” I heard my blonde haired Childe rasp as I finished cleaning him up. Dropping a kiss to his forehead I went to move to the kitchen to throw the cloth away when I felt a cool hand on my wrist. Looking at the large hand I glanced up to the equally large man it belonged to. “I want to be your Childe, please, change me.” He all but begged. I was lost with what to do. His request was so sudden and I couldn’t help but wonder what was fueling it. I wanted to change Eric, make him the Childe of both Godric and I, but there was a party downstairs, it was my wedding night and Sookie was just seriously wounded. “You’re married to Godric now, I want to tie us together tighter, as Maker and Childe.” He answered my unspoken question. I knew all too well why he was doing this now. It was evident that Russell, Felipe and Bill were closing in on us, and Eric wanted all his ducks in a row.

Sensing my conflict, Eric’s face dropped a little, but he put on a smile to try and cover it up. Seeing his sadness, the vulnerability he was showing, I took it upon myself to pull him into my arms.

“Come then, let me make you our son.” I relented, instantly earning myself a grin from Eric. I was royally fucked. All Eric had to do was pull the puppy dog eyes and I’d cave. He was a mummy’s boy indeed. I caught my new husband smiling happily and I offered one hand out to him, the other to Eric.

“Boys, I’m about to give you a new brother so do not worry if I shut down our bonds to alleviate any pain you may feel. This shouldn’t take very long so please hold the fort until I’m finished.” I threw out to all my Children, tagging on an extra bit to Ari asking him to inform Pam of the changes so that she would understand where Eric’s pain would be coming from.

“We’ll need donor blood, there is plenty in the fridge.” I informed Godric, letting go of his hand long enough for him to gather supplies before the three of us moved up into the training room. There would be plenty of time before sunrise, enough time to change Eric and bind him to us both, and time for me to be alone with my new husband too.

“What of Oscar?” Khai mentally interrupted me. I internally sighed at the thought of the young vampire. I was so fond of him but I didn’t have the time or the energy to change them both now.

“He will be done at a later date.” I responded nonchalantly, adding it as another entry onto my mental to-do list.

Up in the training room I sat in the middle, bringing Eric with me. He sat neatly before me, something I admired given his sheer size. “This will be painful, and there is no going back. Unlike with my other Children I won’t have to drain you down all the way, instead I’m going to only go half way, so you are as much mine as you are Godric’s.” I explained as Godric sat beside me, placing the donor blood down in front of us. “I’m going to grab supplies, and I’m going to grab some empty donor bags to put your blood that we extract in. I’ll keep it locked away in a compartment of the fridge for Sookie’s use should she ever be injured in the day if you wish?” I offered, not wanting to waste his blood.

“I understand. I agree that is the best thing to do, knowing how much trouble she gets into.” A smile crossed his lips and I couldn’t help but laugh softly. Usually if a human were causing a vampire trouble the vampire would either end them or leave them, but Eric had stuck by my cousin through all the years, loved her unconditionally, and it was another reason why I had no qualms in having him as my Childe. He had been company for my Godric for 1000 years, and before that he had been company for my Egor and Agmund too. He would blend straight into the nest – my family.

“The pain will begin when I offer you my blood and invoke the Ancient Ones to help change you. As you take from me I will take from Godric as he takes from the donor bags. In reality I’m half draining myself to change you, so Godric’s blood is much needed.” I informed Eric, glancing to my husband who nodded his understanding.

“When you made Ari your son this way, my darling, whose blood were you taking then?” Godric spoke up, frowning somewhat as he thought about how I had changed my first boy.

The memory of the night made me shiver. We had been in an old abandoned storeroom and it had been cold, bitterly so. I was feeling it more than my boys but we had been determined to do it. I had drained down Ari before I more or less gave him all of the blood in my body. I’d passed out from the blood loss only to find Ari feeding me a little of his blood to bring me around. I’d been weak for days but it had been the start of our deep bond. “Ari gave me his blood after I passed out from blood loss. It is why my tie with him is deeper than it is with the rest of our Children. His blood was the first to anchor within me, and mine within him. When his brothers were all changed the ties became muddled and confused for a while, but Ari’s always stood strong.” I answered honestly, having no need to lie.

Placated for now, Godric placed a hand on my knee in a fashion very similar to earlier when he had been comforting Eric. “Unfortunately, this pain could cause you to lash out so…” I trailed off, not really liking my suggestion.

“You will need to silver me. I understand. I couldn’t deal with it if I harmed you while you were doing this for me.” My soon-to-be new son instantly understood and I was grateful for his willingness to be silvered for my safety. Flashes of his thoughts ran through my mind, the memory of him willingly accepting to be silvered and killed in the Fellowship church in order to save Sookie and Godric.

“I’ll be back in one second.” I excused myself, getting up to move towards the storeroom. This moderately sized room held everything I could ever want in it for training, religious purposes or simply for relaxing. I grabbed several empty blood bags, a few sterilised needles and tubes along with a few thin lengths of silver. Returning to Godric and Eric I noted them having a silent conversation, which ended the moment I sat down. Placing all the items out on the floor I took one needle from its packaging, connecting it to a length of tube which I then connected to a donor bag. “Don’t worry about the silver just yet.” I pushed it behind me, knowing how with some vampires simply the sight of it would worry them. Of course Eric would never admit to being afraid of silver, but it was ingrained in everyone to be frightened of his or her weakness. Gesturing for him to lay down he did as I asked and it took me only a second to find Eric’s vein in the crook of his elbow. I felt him clamp his bonds to everyone shut just as I slid the needle in. His hiss of pain was an automatic reaction, along with the dropping of his fangs, but he controlled himself as his blood started to flow through the once clear tube into the empty bag at the other end.

My husband sat on edge, ready to strike and subdue Eric at any moment should he lash out. I knew he wouldn’t though, a part of me knew that because he had willingly accepted this then he would be fine. Shuffling across the floor I sat behind him, gently pulling his head onto my lap. Running my fingers through his blonde locks in slow, methodical strokes I could feel him starting to relax. “It’s okay my boy, I’ve got you.” I reassured him gently, poking at our now closed bond. “Let us in, let us help.” I reasoned with him. Although his eyes were now closed and with his silent heart some may have mistaken him for truly dead, I could feel him opening our bond a fraction. His emotions came tumbling out but Godric and I were quick to scoop them back up and absorb them so they didn’t fester and turn into something negative and disgusting inside our boy.

We sat in silence for 15 minutes and I could feel Eric weakening considerably with each passing minute. I’d kept my place at his head, soothing him as best I could while Godric changed over full donor bags for empty ones, zipping to the fridge and back to store the full ones. Reaching for the silver strands I pushed at our bond a little harder and Eric’s eyes snapped open, they were hazy from his blood loss and I could see it was taking every fibre of his being not to lose control and drain me dry to sate his thirst. Showing him the silver I silently asked for permission, and the gentle wave of reassurance was all I needed.

Dropping the threads onto his wrists quickly, so as not to cause him any more pain than necessary, I heard him hiss out, cursing in his native language. I apologised profusely in his native tongue in response. My hands were shaking as I took a clean needle, attaching it to a new length of tube.

With Eric now half drained down I removed the needle from his arm, leaving the intravenous line in. Godric was by my side, his own fangs down from the feeling of Eric’s pain. Glancing to my bonded, my husband, he nodded for me to go ahead.

Offering the crook of my arm to him he licked, bringing up my vein, which I then jabbed the needle into, wincing at the sting. Before any of my blood could escape from the other end I attached it to the intravenous in Eric’s arm, giving the tube a squeeze to encourage the blood flow. I didn’t bother to suppress the toxicity, knowing that the moment my blood blended with Eric’s the toxicity would be counterbalanced.

Knowing what to do Godric took a needle and attached it to another tube before he placed an intravenous line in my free arm. Hooking everything up I soon had his blood flowing into my system as he tore into the donor bags. “I’m sorry my boy, it won’t last long.” I apologised down to Eric who had screwed his eyes shut, awaiting the inevitable pain.

Taking a shaky breath I recalled the words I hadn’t uttered in over 1000 years, back when I had changed both Egor and Agmund into my Children. “Hemuset, mwen rele sou ou, o fanm nan plak pwotèj yo ak flèch Travelers, pwoteje pitit gason m ‘Eric Northman ak mare l’ fè m ‘nan yon fason ki sèlman yon manman ak yon timoun kapab konnen. M’ap mande nou pwoteje l ‘yo, lespri lavi l’ ak nanm, e mwen mande nan nou, o apa pou Goddess, si sò ka mare nou.” (“Hemuset, I call on you, oh women of shield and arrows sleeper, protect my son Eric Northman and tie it to me in a way that only a mother and a child can know. I ask you to protect him, his spirit of his life and soul, and I ask of you, oh holy Goddess, if fate bind us.”) Eric’s yells of pain started the moment I finished my first paragraph, and our slightly open bond allowed me to feel his agony as my blood started to take effect. I was, in essence, changing his biological make-up, rearranging the magic in his remaining blood to respond to both Godric and I, forcing my blood to respond to both Godric and I.

Eric’s yells had turned into whimpers and groans padding out the other high-pitched noises leaving his mouth. Red tracks ran down his face, as they did down the face of my husband too. My own tears were flowing as I felt my bond with Eric start to anchor deep inside of me. His old bond with me had snapped, now replaced with something new and much more meaningful. I could feel every little thing he could; I could understand how he worked now, how he thought about things and his reasons for his actions. I could understand him on a baser level. It had been the exact same when I had changed my other boys. The bond between Maker and Childe was so incredibly strong.

“Finalman, Isis manman ak papa Ra, mwen mande nou pou nou apwouve pran an nan pitit nouvo m ‘ak’ kite l ‘yo vin yon pati nan tout tan ap grandi fanmi nou. Mwen mande pou frè l ‘, moun mwen pataje avèk mari m’, resevwa l ‘ak bra louvri,epi anseye l’ tout gen konnen sou filiation nou an. Mwen mande pou ou pou w sele sendika nou an ak kore nou. Mwen mande ke ou asire pou yo pa janm kraze, men senpleman pliye, koneksyon nou. Mwen mande moun nan mitan nou twò gade sou pitit gason m ‘si mwen pa kapab, ak nan gid l’ mwen ta dwe rate yo fè sa.” (“Finally, Isis the mother and father Ra, I ask you to approve the taking of children new to me and let him become a part of our ever growing family. I asked for his brother, whom I share with my husband, receive it with open arms, and teach him all there know about our lineage. I asked for you to seal our union and our support. I ask that you make sure to never break, but simply fold, our connection. I ask of you too look on my son if I can not, and guide him I would be failing to do so.”) I felt the connection between us anchor the moment I finished my final sentence, and I sagged in relief. Eric’s body was still battling with the connection, dealing with the new bond that had been formed. As I had already done this several times in my life it was of no consequence to me.

Tired from the blood loss, the forming of the new bond and the evening in general, I allowed my husband to remove all needles, healing marks as he went along. Eric was still flat on his back, his head in my lap with his eyes screwed shut. “Min son, as your Maker I command you to open your eyes.” I murmured softly, picking something small to be his trial command. I didn’t want to order him to get up and run around in his current state.

Eric’s eyelids snapped back immediately, his cerulean orbs staring up at me. A smile crossed over my features as I continued to stroke his hair with one hand, using the other to remove the fine silver chains that were holding him down. The moment they were off he sat up, instinctively rubbing at his wrists as they healed. He turned quickly, sitting on his haunches as he rested his forehead to my own. Playing with our new, strong bond I gave it a gentle ping, rewarded with the sound of Eric’s deep rumbling laugh. A wash of love flooded me and I could feel it coming from both my new husband and my new son. In one night I had gained the family I had always craved. I had a husband and from my husband a Childe. Maybe not a child from my body, a child with DNA closely matching my own, but I had gained a Childe nonetheless. I could feel Eric playing with our new connection, a little out of sorts now that he had a new deep-set bond within him.

“Go clean yourself up and rest, Sookie will need you there when she wakes from her ordeal.” I ordered softly, not needing to use a Makers command. Eric was loyal enough to do whatever Godric asked of him, and now that my blood was flowing through his body he was loyal to me also.

With a deep nod Eric rose to his staggering height, offering a nod to both Godric and I before he made for the door. Just before he reached the door though he vamped back to us, dropping to press a quick kiss to my cheek before he was gone from sight. Godric and I sat in comfortable silence for a short while, listening to the sounds from downstairs, one of my hands on the spot my son had just kissed. “Thank you, for sharing him with me.” I spoke first, breaking the silence as I turned to look at my bonded.

“As I said, what’s mine is yours. I am just pleased that you get on so well and took to one another so quickly. I would have never thought Eric would go through with what he just did, but I suppose that has always been our son’s way. He’s a surprising character.” Godric mused, shuffling to sit closer to me. He took one of my hands in his own and cradled it in his lap.

“I know he wanted this originally, but I know why he wanted it this evening. He’s worried about the next few days, especially with Sookie being staked – the attempt on his life that was made. I’m worried too in all honesty. Russell, Felipe, Bill and whoever else is after us all are closing in, quickly. Eric wants to create bonds, finalise the family, and make us a stronger team before we go into battle per say.” I sighed, my eyes still glued on the door where my new Childe had last been.

Godric’s cool hand came up before me as he took hold of my chin, turning my head slowly so that I was forced to look at him. “Spare your worry, my wife. Tonight we’ll celebrate our union.” His free hand took hold of my left hand, his thumb running over the engagement band sat around my finger. “Come, let me run us a bubble bath.”

It was only fifteen minutes later that we were both in the tub, surrounded by mountains of bubbles. I’d had to close my eyes going through our bedroom and I’d been mighty curious about what I wasn’t allowed to be looking at.

Godric was sat behind me, his legs spread so I could sit before him. At first I had sat upright but with a few gentle tugs on my hips from my husband I’d slipped down to lean against him as he lent against the end of the huge tub. The warm water lapped at our sides, soothing our muscles and washing away the worry of the last few weeks. With touches so tender and soft that I felt like crying, my husband washed every inch of me, scrubbing away the grime and the blood, wiping away the make-up that had adorned my face and the products that had smothered my hair. Every now and then he would stop to drop a gentle kiss to whatever random part of my body he was working on at that moment – my shoulder blades, the tops of my breasts, the dip of my tummy button, my knees, my ankles and the arches of my feet.

Crawling up my body once he was sure I was clean, Godric pressed a chaste kiss to my lips, and though I appreciated it I wanted more. My hand shot out to grab the nape of his neck, pulling him back to me for me. Knowing what I wanted, as he always seemed to do, Godric’s lips fastened onto mine, both of us closing our eyes to relish the contact. With a swipe of my tongue over his lower lip I was granted entry.

Raising my tongue I pushed that little spot just behind his front teeth, just behind the little gap between them. With an audible snick his fangs fell into place, his hands grabbing onto my hips as he tried to control himself, the water in the tub starting to cool. Deciding then and there to give my husband a spur of the moment wedding present, considering his planned gift would be received later, I sliced my tongue on one of his razor sharp fangs, not bothering to suppress the toxicity of my blood. I’d taken his blood well over thirty minutes ago so there was no way the third bond between us could be formed, no matter how much I wanted it to be.

Instantly he was sucking on the wound, groaning at the taste of my pure fae blood. His grip on my hips tightened and I knew I would have bruises in the morning, but I was beyond caring so long as my husband was enjoying himself. It was as he repositioned us that I realised how much of a gamble I’d been taking. Regardless of how old a vampire was, fae blood was the ultimate treat. His saliva caused my wound to heal but he was quick to re-open it, expertly using his own tongue to coax mine into his mouth where he could cut it again. Suckling on the wound like a newborn, he backed me up against the side of the tub, flexing his hips to bury himself inside of me. Though not unwelcome it was unexpected and his lips muffled my squeak of surprise. As his saliva healed over the wound on my tongue once more I broke our kiss, gasping for air as he started to move his hips. I’d pictured a slow and tender lovemaking however my husband had other ideas.

Burying his face in the crook of my neck he growled, picking up the pace with sharp, deep thrusts, reaching far inside of me. The sensations he was stirring inside of me had me clawing at his back, dragging my nails over his alabaster skin. His lips met my skin as he drew kisses up my neck and along my jugular where he lingered for a moment, before he continued to scatter them over my jawbone towards my lips. “No more. Greedy.” I panted as his hands left my body, grabbing onto the tub behind me for leverage. The water sloshed around us with each of his hard thrusts though thankfully it remained inside of the tub. I could feel the pressure building up inside of me and the bond I shared with Godric was humming with his contentment and the anticipation of the release he was craving to.

“For you, I’m insatiable.” Godric hissed, his fangs still down and thus affecting his speech as his forehead came to rest against my own. I managed to get a look into his pale blue eyes, clouded over with lust, desire and everything in-between. I could see how my unsuppressed blood had affected his control, how it was spurring him on, pushing him to claim me. I felt a cool hand on my burning core, his dexterous fingers finding the bundle of nerves at the apex of my legs. Throwing my head back against the tub as he circled the area I felt like begging, but I wouldn’t give him that satisfaction. Instead his name tumbled from my lips like a mantra.

“Come with me.” I heard his whispered order close to my ear as his fingers finally connected with my bundle of nerves. Using the speed his immortality had granted him he rubbed furiously, pounding into me, giving me all of him. Our bond was wide open, his love and desire pouring through along with his primal need to possess me. It was like the dam suddenly gave out. One moment the pressure was building inside of me and climbing upwards rapidly, and the next I was riding my release.

Screaming out his name I was vaguely aware of the roar that occurred during his own release, but I was well aware of his fangs in my neck seconds later. Panting, heaving and sweating somewhat I continued to shudder with aftershocks as I brought a shaky hand to the back of Godric’s head, keeping him in place as he fed from me. He didn’t need much given that he had consumed several donor bags earlier but I wanted to nourish him, I wanted him to have as much of me as he wanted. I was his for the taking, just like he was mine.

His hard pulls soon turned lazy and slow, and then his tongue was rubbing over my neck, sealing the wounds. Pricking his tongue he healed the white marks left behind, giving the illusion that no vampire had ever fed from me. Godric’s hard body was pressed against my own, having collapsed on me moments after his own release, and I found myself idly stroking his tattooed back. His chest was rising and falling with unnecessary breath and I could feel him, through the bond, pulling himself together.

We lay in comfortable silence for a while until the water became far too cold for me and I started to shake. “You’re cold.” He pointed out quietly as he slowly sat up, his eyes examining my nude form. The moment his eyes found my hips, somewhat submerged under the now cold and bubble-free water, his jaw clenched. “I hurt you.” He commented angrily, his anger directed inwards.

“It’s fine.” I offered, not really too bothered with the bruises I could feel blooming.

“It’s not fine.” His eyes snapped up to meet mine, all traces of the warmth that had been in them seconds before now gone.

Sighing I grabbed his shoulders, hauling him down to lay atop of me once again. With my lips at his ear I stroked up and down his sides, tracing the planes of his well-formed muscles. “Think of it this way,” I rasped, “When you’re asleep in the day tomorrow and I move I’ll feel a twinge in my sides, and I’ll be reminded of you fucking me in this tub, claiming me, pounding into me, owning me like the world is going to end tomorrow. I’ll be reminded of this glorious piece of your anatomy.” My left hand captured his manhood, my thumb stroking him, drawing a groan from his beautiful lips. “I’ll be craving you all day, and when you wake for the night I’ll be so ready for you, begging for you to take me all over again and remind me of whom I belong to.” I whispered, darting my tongue out to lick the hollow spot just behind his ear. His growl informed me that I had his attention and approval, and that for now I had won this battle. “Now go and get your wife a towel. She’s cold and wishes to dry off.” I instructed, letting go of him completely, but not before I planted a kiss on his collarbone.

Using his vampire speed Godric was off of me and out of the tub, returning with a fluffy Egyptian cotton towel from the heated towel rail. Throwing it over his shoulder he scooped me up out of the tub. Shrieking at the sudden movement I clung to him. Gently he placed me down on the marble counter top nearby, wrapping me up in the towel like I was some form of caterpillar, waiting to be turned into a beautiful butterfly. Draining the bathtub, he held up a finger to me, instructing me to wait.

Vamping from the room, I was left alone so took it upon myself to dry down, using the large towel to pat myself dry before I applied a thin layer of moisturiser that held a light floral scent. Ari loved it and had made it his tradition to buy it for me for Christmas every year, along with Isis knows what else he could get his hands on.

Godric returned a moment later, helping me down from the counter top before he threw my towel aside to clear up later, leaving the pair of us naked. Turning me around so my back was to him, he placed his hands over my eyes, moving his lips to my ear. “I love you.” He whispered, gently encouraging me to move forward. Curious about what was going on I took a few steps forward, my hands coming to rest over his on my eyes.

“I love you too.” I murmured in response, almost feeling his smile through our bond. Entering our bedroom I threw out my other senses, compensating for my lack of vision. I could smell black cherries and pink dragon fruit, along with the scent of roses. My ears picked up on the soft sound of La fille aux cheveux de lin by Claude Debussy playing through the speakers of the small music player in the corner of the room.

Slowly my husband removed his hands to reveal our bedroom bathed in soft white candle light, hundreds of vibrant red roses scattered around the room, either on the floor or in vases, single stems and whole bouquets. Petals were strewn over the bed and the candles were giving off aromatic scents from their little jars. My hands moved to cover my mouth, hiding my shocked expression, and yet the bond I shared with Godric gave away my feelings. “I remember that I promised you flowers, my darling.” He murmured softly, wrapping an arm around my waist to hold me close to his side. He dropped a tender kiss to my temple and I turned to look up at him, my bright blue eyes finding his pale ones.

“I want tonight to be special for you, for us.” He told me sincerely. I could feel the ‘just in case’ attached to the end of the sentence but I refused to dwell upon it. I would fight my way through whatever was going on around us and I would drag my vampire husband through it kicking and screaming if I had to. I will get the chance to marry him by human custom.

His hands came to cup my face as he moved to stand before me, drawing me ever closer until our naked bodies were pressed together, our lips sealed against one another. For 2000 years I had been without him, refusing to believe he had ever left me. I had spent many days praying to my Gods and Goddesses, asking them to bring him back to me, asking them to ask him to watch over me if he was with them. I slipped into a meditative state religiously to beg Anubis and Osiris to take care of him, to find him for me if he was with them in the Fields of Aaru. Of course they always came back with nothing, because my handsome bonded was still walking the earth. Although technically deceased he hadn’t crossed to Aaru. He was out of the jurisdiction of my Gods. I’d almost given up on him, resigned myself to my fate of dying without him by my side. I had my boys for comfort over the years, but they hadn’t been able to give me the physical pleasures I’d craved, nor had they been able to give me the emotional stability of a lover. The realisation that I had almost lost him to the sun a few years back, and I would have been non the wiser, had a few tears slipping from my closed eyes, rolling down my cheeks.

Effortlessly picking me up he placed me down on the bed, our combined weights causing the mattress to dip slightly, the duvet engulfing us. Looking up at my husband, the man I should have married 2000 years ago, I brushed my fingers over the blue marking around his neck and across his chest, reacquainting myself with the ancient ink. The soft music and the sweet smells were lulling me into relaxation and I knew full well that was what Godric had intended for it to do. One of his hands ended up lost in my damp blonde locks, which were fanned out across the duvet, the other resting against my cheek as he stroked my cheekbone. “I am a very lucky man to have a wife such as you, one so beautiful and caring, strong and fiery, with passion and prestige.” He murmured, his hand on my cheek moving down, along my neck, skimming my breasts, swooping over my waist and hips before sweeping inwards to rest at my centre I was at a loss with how to respond. There were so many things about the man above me that I loved. He was strong and dominant, concerned and kind at the same time, with a sprinkling of fierceness and understanding that made me weak at the knees.

Realising I was struggling to convey my feelings in words I felt him nestle inside our bond. I followed suit, loosing myself in his emotions as he lost himself in mine.

He brought me to my first release tantalisingly slowly. His fingers worked as if he were savouring every moment. He laved kisses across my bare skin, nipping and sucking every now and then to surprise me. He dragged his cool nose across my burning skin, the contrast doing wonderfully wicked things to my libido. He used the petals strewn on the bed nearby to bring goose bumps to my skin, trailing them over me before he’d crush them in his hand, rubbing them over my skin to transfer the heady scent onto me. My skin was hyper-aware, aching for his touch, for contact with his own bare flesh. I wanted him and he needed him, and he knew it. He wasn’t smug about it though for he needed me just as much.

Ensuring that not a single inch of my body was left untouched or un-cherished, my release caught me off guard once again, though this time there was no screaming of his name, no head flung backwards in wild desire. This time he brought me to the edge with our gazes locked, one of my hands knotted in the bed sheets and the other in his brown locks.

He watched me come undone by his hands only.

I needed to return the favour, to treasure him as much as he treasured me, to lave his body in kisses and affection too. Coming down from my high I gently pushed him over, rolling us so I straddled his waist. Resting my hands on his broad chest I dropped kisses to the ink mark around his neck, dipping down to kiss along his breastbone. Working my way back up I paid attention to his neck as his hands came to rest upon my waist, albeit gently due to his earlier rough treatment. I wasn’t mad with him, I was glad he hadn’t treated me like some fragile little china doll. I was all for tender and soft lovemaking, but there were times when being rough with one another was needed. Bringing my lips to his I nibbled on his lower lip before smoothing the area with my tongue. Sliding down his body I explored every part of him, my fingers ghosted over every inch of his firm physique, exactly the same as it had been 2000 years ago.

Nothing had changed and I was comforted by that fact. I avoided his crotch, paying attention to every other part of his body instead. I could tell it was slowly driving him insane as his hands dug into the bed sheets. Lifting his right foot I kissed the arch, then his ankle, the inside of his calf. Prying his legs open I moved to kiss the side of his knee before moving on to his thigh, stopping just shy of his groin. I repeated the slow process on his left leg, ensuring I hadn’t missed a single spot before I allowed myself to pay attention to his crotch. My poor husband was more than ready for me, and I could tell he’d been holding back for quite some time now. I wanted to bring him to a release right before the main event though, just like he’d done for me.

By now the music had changed several times, all the sounds of classical piano music filtering through the air. The candles were still burning strong and the scent they gave off was still drifting through the air. Taking him in my mouth, my hands cradled the parts of him I couldn’t fit in. I alternated between licking, nipping, soothing, kissing and sucking, the combination of which had him tightening in my hands and mouth within minutes. Laving my tongue over the thick vein on the underside of him I refused to break the eye contact we had started the moment I had taken him into my mouth. Engulfing him once more I hummed softly, and that was all that was needed to push him over the edge. A guttural groan fled the confines of his lips, his hands squeezing the bed sheets as he gave me everything he had. His eyelids closed over his pale blue eyes, blocking out the world as I took everything his release offered me. Taking more unnecessary breaths, my Godric remained still, his whole body relaxed. Using my tongue to clean him I dropped one last kiss to him before I crawled back up his body, leaning down to snuggle against his chest. One of his arms wrapped around me, holding me to him while we basked in the afterglow.

No words were uttered between us and with care he rolled us over, ensuring I was comfortably situated before his hands parted my legs, his fingers stroking the inside of my thighs as he lined himself up. With several small flexes of his hips he was buried to the hilt inside of me, our moans resonating around the room at the sense of completion that washed over us both. It was corny to think we had been designed specifically for one another but there was no other way to explain how we fitted so well together, on a physical, mental and emotional level. We were like two peas in a pod.

Godric’s thrusts were slow but precise, hitting me in just the right places, stretching me. His eyes never left mine as he worked in and out of me; his hands never left my body, leaving behind a trail of heat as they worked across my skin. He was drawing this out for as long as possible, making it count and making it last. It would always count though. He was my bonded, my fated, and my companion through the years. He was the father of my Children, albeit not my children by natural birth but that no longer mattered to me. We had several beautiful and loyal sons together. He was the man I had wept over for years, mourned for when I believed he had truly perished. He was the man I compared all others to, the man who had no competition for my affection and love. He was mine, and I was his.

I felt the pressure inside of me building up slowly, the quivering of my muscles the only cues my husband needed. Shifting his hips ever so slightly he brushed that little spot inside of me and it was only several thrusts later that I couldn’t hold back anymore. Grasping onto him, my anchor, with one hand, my nails dug their way into his flesh, embedding them there like he was embedded in me. Whimpering out his name as I fell over the edge, I heard the masculine grunts fall from his lips as he followed me over, my own name tumbling from him as he gave his life essence to me. The muscles in his arms spasmed as he tried to keep himself propped up above me. Shaking from my release I wrapped my arms around his waist, pulling him down so he lay atop of me, taking the pressure off of his arms. His weight over me was comforting, reassuring. I felt safe.

We lay in silence for a while and I could feel that the sun would soon be rising. Godric was growing a little lethargic and our bond enabled me to feel everything he was. There was also the fact that most of the guests downstairs were now leaving, and I could hear them out on the street outside thanks to the cracked open window.

“I have a present for you.” I murmured softly in my husbands’ ear, brushing the stray strands of hair out of his face. He was sprawled over me, his ear pressed to my chest, letting my heartbeat soothe him into downtime. My words brought him back to me though and I felt his curiosity peak. Moving onto his back he brought me over to rest upon his front. Reaching across him I opened the top drawer of the bedside table, removing the small black velvet back. Godric sat up, bringing me with him so I sat on his lap. I presented him with the bag, earning a confused expression from him before he took it gently out of my hands.

Pulling at the drawstrings he opened it, reaching a hand in to retrieve the wooden object inside. Removing it he studied it for a second, the smooth, round wooden pendant on a leather cord. “Turn it over.” I whispered, trying to hide my excitement at what I had found. As he turned the pendant over I felt his emotions go haywire. I had delegated a task to Ari and my boys a few days ago, back when I had been planning for the VRA passing, to get this pendant inscribed. It was made out of wood that had been sourced in modern day Belgium, as close to home as I could find for my husband. A Gaulish tribal symbol was engraved into the front of the pendant, and I’d had one word inscribed onto the back and it had taken hours of internet searches and numerous phone calls to experts to find the right word.

The word ‘uiro’ had been carved into the wood. “Husband.” My bonded translated the Gaulish word into English. His lips were on mine in an instant giving me a searing kiss that had my libido screaming for another round, though I ignored her. Our bond was flooded with his love and how much he was touched by my gift. He had given me a band of diamonds as a symbol of our union and now I had marked him with my own symbol. Though it was not as grand as diamonds I could tell he appreciated it just as much. I had put effort into it and it was something personal to him, just like the band around my finger was personal to me, and he had put plenty of time into that. The older vampires of the world, those with knowledge of all the ancient languages, would know straight away what was written upon his pendant and the warning behind it. Slipping it around his neck, Godric held me close, tucking me under his chin. “I am a very lucky man indeed.” I heard him whisper as the light-tight shutters clicked into place. My fingers went to the wooden pendant, which now sat right above his heart. I’d made it that way, wanting it to rest there always. After my boys had brought it back to me I’d even dropping a smidgen of my blood onto it, giving it a little magical kick to protect him. I’d had no idea at the time when he would finally become my husband, but I’d had the pendant created anyway, knowing that one day he would finally be mine.

Together we moved back under the covers, snuggling into one another, the candlelight still illuminating the room. The glass jars they were contained in would see to it that they would extinguish when the wax ran out. Godric lay on his back, my naked body half sprawled over his, our legs tangled together and his arms wrapped around me. Pressing kisses to my temple and forehead I felt him starting to drift into his day rest. “I love you.” I reminded him sleepily, yawning quietly.

“I love you too, my wife.” He murmured before the day took him from me. It was only seconds later that I drifted off beside him, the CD of piano music lulling me into sleep.

My pleasant sleep was interrupted an hour before sunset. “ATA, SOOKIE, HELP.” The mental voice of Jason yelled at me. In my sleep my shields were useless, but usually my brain was able to deal with it so long as thoughts were not directed at me. This wasn’t the case.

Shooting out of bed I winced briefly at the pain in my hips but I pulled on some underwear and a nightdress, slipping out of my room and into the windowless corridor. Sookie entered the living room the exact same moment I did. “Jason and Hunter are in trouble.” We spoke in unison, looking to the elevator door. The stupid idiots had left the safety of the penthouse! With no weapons but our fae powers we raced into the elevator, pushing the button for the ground floor. We were sitting ducks and I was well aware of it, but there was nothing we could do.

We couldn’t sit in the penthouse and wait until sunset for the vampires to rise, even if that did sound like a good idea, because I was more than aware of the fact that Jason and Hunter wouldn’t last that long if the attackers were Were’s. Sookie would be a nightmare to, and not being able to glamour her would mean that the wait would be filled with tension.

As the elevator slid to a stop and the doors opened I was greeted with a brutal scene. Several slaughtered employees of mine littered the floor and eight huge Were’s stood blocking the way from the elevator to the main entrance of the hotel.

We were safe in the metal box though thanks to Amelia’s spells. The moment we stepped out, we were fair game. One Were had Jason in a headlock, blood pouring from his broken nose, cuts covering his entire body. He was a state. Hunter was being held by another Were, easily restrained due to his young age and yet he still carried several large scratches. He’d put up a fight and I was incredibly proud of him. “Well if it ain’t the two pretty blondes we were sent to collect! If you ladies would be so kind as to step out of the elevator and come with us we can assure you the safety of your two men folk ‘ere.” The Were I took as the leader sneered at us.

Sookie and I had no choice, we were backed into a corner and I had no plans to fall back on. My front desk employees were dead and no doubt a bunch of guests were too, and now my family was being threatened. The last thing I wanted was for the Were’s to get into the penthouse. No one was allowed near my husband and Children. “If we willingly come with you, will you promise us on the light that they’ll be safe.” I offered, knowing that if a light oath were broken then the person who broke it would die.

“Whatever you want Tinkerbell.” The leader smirked at his comrades, who all snickered at his joke. It was something I’d heard before.

“No Sook, Ata. Don’t do it. Go back upstairs. We’ll be fine.” Jason tried to convince us but I could see the Were tightening his grip around his neck. Jason wouldn’t be fine, and he wouldn’t last much longer if the slow beating of his heart due to lack of oxygen were anything to go by.

Deciding to try anyway I stuck my hand out, lighting up my forefinger. “Come and swear it.” I ordered. The leader of the group strode towards me with arrogant swagger as Sookie tugged on my free arm.

“Don’t do it.” She begged me quietly. Ignoring her I flinched the moment the Were’s warm skin came into contact with my own.

“Not use to a normal body temperature?” his eyes roved all over my barely clothed body and my lips curled up automatically in disgust.

“Do you swear, upon the light, to let Jason Stackhouse and Hunter Savoy go free?” I asked as the light travelled into the Were, who now looked a bit uncertain as to what he was agreeing to.

“I swear it.” He followed through and I could feel the oath forming. Sighing in resignation I took a step out of the elevator. I was fed up of waiting for

Russell and company to strike, fed up of the pathetic dance we seemed to be doing. I wanted this over and done with. I wanted to stake Russell, along with Felipe, and return home to my husband and Children. If they took me they would leave my husband alone long enough for him to come up with a suitable plan of attack They could whatever they wanted to me, just so long as my husband and Children were safe. Anything to keep them safe.

The moment I was out a pair of iron handcuffs were clamped around me and I howled at the pain. Iron was as painful for the fae as silver was for vampires. “And you, pretty lady.” One of the Were’s instructed Sookie. Looking to me for guidance I nodded and she stepped out, only to be handcuffed a moment later as a screaming and shouting Jason was silenced with a piece of fabric in his mouth. Tears were streaming down Hunter’s cheeks and I knew the young boy hated seeing his new mother in handcuffs, he hated seeing me in handcuffs to. He wanted Eric but Hunter knew the mighty Viking vampire couldn’t protect him right now.

“Off we go then.” The leader instructed, looking more than pleased that he had succeeded with his mission to capture Sookie and I. I could smell the V on him and it was disgusting.

“You need to let them go, unharmed. It’s part of the deal.” I nodded towards Jason and Hunter.

All of the Were’s started to laugh and shake their heads. “They’re coming with us also, fairy princess.” One particularly smelly and unhygienic Were hissed at me.

“Really now?” I questioned, quirking an eyebrow.

“Yes, you fool.” The leader tried to move us on and we started to head out of the hotel, only for the sound of a body exploding behind us to capture the attention of all the Were’s. In their panic they let go of Hunter and Jason.

“Elevator. NOW.” I barked to them. The pair took off into the safety of the elevator, running through the pile of goo that was once the Were groups leader.

“The fuck did you do to Trevor!?” One of the Were’s rounded on me, his fist connecting with my jaw. It was painful, but nothing the vampire blood in my system couldn’t cure.

“He broke the light oath, so he suffered the consequences.” I shrugged as Sookie sniggered, though I could feel her worry and stress threatening to consume her. Using our connection I pushed all of my reassurance and protection to her, noting that she had her Grandmothers pearls on. My promise ring still sat around my finger, now joined with an engagement ring. Instinctively I closed my bonds with my Children and with Godric, not wanting them to feel what was currently happening or where we were going to be taken. They’d end up running to our rescue halfcocked and get into some serious shit. Pushing the thought through our mental connection, I felt Sookie slowly start to close down all of her bonds to.

“Fucking bitch. You’ll regret this.” The Were got right up in my face, but I wasn’t intimidated by him. I’d seen human babies that were scarier.

Glancing to Jason and Hunter, who were rapidly pushing the button to go back to the penthouse to try and wake the vampires, if there thoughts were anything to go by, I turned my focus back to the Were who had insulted me. “Well then my dear, take me to your leader.”

OMG the breaking of the oath / Were explosion was awesome, but I keep wondering why Ata continues to use the elevator instead of teleporting down to a strategic spot downstairs where she can sneak up on the bad guys.

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